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About Robert & Colleen Haas

The Haas Scholars Program was created through the generous vision and support of Robert and Colleen Haas. A Cal alumnus, Robert (Bob) Haas majored in English and was valedictorian of the class of 1964. Following graduation, he taught English in western Africa (Ivory Coast) as a member of the newly formed Peace Corps. Bob earned his MBA from Harvard in 1968 and served as a White House Fellow in the Johnson Administration, before returning home to San Francisco to work as a management consultant. In 1973, he joined the family business, Levi Strauss & Co., the world's largest apparel company. The following year, he married Colleen Gershon, a graduate of Stanford School of Law and a criminal defense attorney with the civil rights firm of Garry, Dreyfus, McTernan & Brotsky. The CEO of Levi Strauss from 1984 until 1999 and its Chairman since 1989, Bob Haas has been widely recognized for his progressive philanthropic and business leadership. He and Colleen live outside of San Francisco with their daughter Elise.